The Secret Society: Descendants of Crypto-Jews in the San Antonio ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Since recidivism is the primary cause of the exploding prison population in Texas it is helpful to understand what recidivism is. Texas defines recidivism as “the number of offenders who are revoked from parole or probation to probation due to violations of law or the terms of supervision” (Sunset Commission, 2007). This expanded supervision results in an increase in recidivism. It is estimated “nearly two-thirds of all reincarcerations in 2000 were for technical violations rather than new convictions” (Maxwell, 2005). It is estimated approximately 30% of those released from prison will return to prison in less than three years. Adding to this is the number of first-time offenders sent to prison for probation violations. The combination of parole and probation revocation accounts for 55% to 60% of annual prison admissions (Sunset Commission, 2007). According to the Sunset Commission (2007) of the Texas Legislature the primary risk factors for recidivism are: Anti-social peer associations, substance abuse, lack of problem solving and self control skills, lack of education and vocational skills, and negative behavior regarding employment. What does recidivism cost? The daily cost per inmate in prison is $40.00. A court ordered residential treatment center is $68.00 a day (Sunset Commission, 2007). In 2005 Texas had 153,000 inmates with an annual cost of $2.2 Billion. 59,000 prisoners were released from TDCJ in 2002 (Watson, 2004). Of the 59,000 prisoners released in 2002, 40,000 were returned to prison for parole violations at a cost of $600 Million a year (Sunset Commission, 2007). The following chart provides costs based on information found in Texas Legislature Sunset Commission Report (2007): The Windham School District (2007) is responsible for educating inmates and providing vocational training. “Windham School District provides appropriate educational programs to meet the needs of the eligible offender population, thus reducing recidivism by assisting offenders in becoming productive members of society. Studies show that education and employment reduce recidivism and save tax dollars. According to a study conducted by the Texas Criminal Justice Policy Council (CJPC) in 2000, offenders with higher levels of education have lower recidivism rates, and releasees who are employed have a lower recidivism rate than those not employed. Many of the offenders in the TDCJ lack the educational background and basic skills necessary for attaining employment upon release. The typical Windham student functions below the sixth grade level” (Windham School District, 2007). Interviews with respondents reveal the education provided for a High School GED is certainly available and, for those who did not graduate from High School, mandatory. The reality is whether or not an inmate completes the required GED, they will still be released. Windham has a series of courses on social skills, parenting, and reintegration into society. There are courses on how to interview for a job and how to fill out a job application. The value of these various courses is determined by the individual inmate’s use of them. A High School GED issued by the Windham School District is recognized by most potential employers as questionable at best. Usable vocational training providing marketable skills is a primary need identified by the respondents. Vocational training is provided in office support using computers and software no longer in use by most companies. Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) courses use obsolete equipment and software. The respondents suggest inmates need vocational courses approved by various unions in order for them to become licensed in an appropriate apprentice program. Many of these programs are offered by the Windham School District. The problem identified by most of the respondents is the courses are not offered at all 3
units in TDCJ. The vocational programs differ from unit to unit and Institutional Division (ID) inmates transfer frequently for several years before reaching a unit they will be for the balance of their sentence. According to the respondents for these programs to be effective there must be consistency, unity, and transferability between TDCJ units. Inmates provide free labor for working in the fields growing vegetables, preparing meals in the kitchens, general maintenance and cleaning at every unit, and every form of manual labor. Inmates are not paid for these services. In addition Texas Correctional Industries (TCI) is one of the largest users of prison labor in Texas. If TCI were a private corporation it would be one of the top ten employers in the State of Texas. TCI is divided into six divisions: Graphics, Janitorial supplies, Garments/Textiles, Modular office systems, Furniture, and Metal products. TCI is a component of the TDCJ Manufacturing and Logistics Division. According to the Manufacturing and Logistics Division 2005 Annual Report (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 2005) had sales of over $78 million. Within the Manufacturing and Logistics Division is a program called Prison Industry Enhancement Certification Program (PIE). “The PIE Certification program was created by the U.S. Congress in 1979 to encourage states and units of local government to establish employment opportunities for offenders in realistic working environments, pay them wages, and enable them to acquire marketable skills to increase their potential for successful rehabilitation and meaningful employment upon release.” (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 2005). In 1993 TDCJ implemented the PIE program with 11 inmates and now has expanded the program to about 500 inmates. The average income per inmate in the PIE certification program is $10,500 per year. After all costs and restitution are subtracted the average inmate has earned $3,600 for each year worked for personal use when he/she is released. Thirty-six states have full-time programs for employing and paying inmates. Some of these programs involve prison manufacturing similar to TCI and inmates are paid from $20.00 a month (Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 2007) to $1.15 an hour (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 1999). Private industry is using prison labor for call centers, assembly, and other low-wage jobs to prevent those jobs from going to other countries (Swartz, 2007). Automobile manufacturers pay inmates about $2.00 an hour for assembly work and some piece work pays as little as $0.21 an hour (Wojdacz, 2007). Does providing usable vocational training and paying inmates reduce recidivism? According to statistics found in the Manufacturing and Logistics Division 2005 Annual Report (Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 2005) the answer is yes. The PIE program had a successful reentry rate of 81.7%, an employment rate of 90.6%, and the average hourly wage was $10.57. By expanding the PIE system of training and paying inmates, the recidivism rate should be significantly reduced. This conclusion is supported by the results over the last fourteen years. TDCJ needs to implement a program to pay all inmates working throughout TDCJ. TCI is an efficient and profitable organization which can be expanded to include private industries successfully as other states have already done. The Federal Prison Industries, Inc. provides a working model for a successful and profitable system of paying inmates for their labor (Federal Bureau of Prisons, 1999). A significant issue identified by the respondents is finding a job and how the employment process is handled while still incarcerated and after being released. Project RIO is the primary method used by TDCJ to help offenders find employment. Project RIO (Re-integration of Offenders) is a project of the Texas Workforce Commission (Texas Workforce, 2007). For some respondents the experience with TWC was excellent and helped them find employment and housing in a reasonably short period of time. For others it was a useless exercise and most didn’t 4
Page 1 and 2:
The Secret Society: Descendants of
Page 3 and 4:
today. Present day traditions inclu
Page 5 and 6:
to India so he thought it would be
Page 7 and 8:
character. He was responsible for t
Page 9 and 10:
had filled his colony with people w
Page 11 and 12:
that we did that were not exactly C
Page 13 and 14:
events. 43 After a year the family
Page 15 and 16: Another area of Jewish influence is
Page 17 and 18: ignored and left to ruin suggests t
Page 19 and 20: Liebman, Seymour B. The Jews in New
Page 21 and 22: Agnes sees herself as the kitten he
Page 23 and 24: He also takes the children “a-bir
Page 25 and 26: although the memory of his father
Page 27 and 28: Works Consulted Berg, Maggie. "'Hap
Page 29 and 30: components of the vesicle are also
Page 31 and 32: DPPE can diffuse laterally across t
Page 33 and 34: The DLS measurements of the biotiny
Page 35 and 36: 7. References [1] T. Minko, S.S. Dh
Page 37 and 38: 2 His sweepingly critical accusatio
Page 39 and 40: 4 Naseem Aziz, protests against her
Page 41 and 42: 6 Her talent and desire for attenti
Page 43 and 44: 8 “I do not propose to offer, pre
Page 45 and 46: 10 given simply the leisure-time ne
Page 47 and 48: Kundera quite vocally defends Rushd
Page 49 and 50: Disordered Eating, Anxiety 2 Abstra
Page 51 and 52: Disordered Eating, Anxiety 4 This u
Page 53 and 54: Disordered Eating, Anxiety 6 Figure
Page 55 and 56: Disordered Eating, Anxiety 8 Each p
Page 57 and 58: Disordered Eating, Anxiety 10 point
Page 59 and 60: Disordered Eating, Anxiety 12 eatin
Page 61 and 62: Disordered Eating, Anxiety 14 Concl
Page 63 and 64: Disordered Eating, Anxiety 16 Stice
Page 65: The following demographic informati
Page 69 and 70: for public transportation it was su
Page 71 and 72: References Asquith, Christina. (Feb
show all

The Secret Society: Descendants of Crypto-Jews in the San Antonio ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?